William M Cage Library Trust
The William M Cage Library Trust is a private foundation based in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Its 2024 grants went to recipients in Virginia, and the foundation’s 2025 filing states that eligible recipients must be Virginia libraries.
William M Cage Library Trust at a glance
In short: William M Cage Library Trust gave $90K across 132 grants in 2025 (avg $682.03), mostly in Virginia. 3% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $90,028
- +26.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 132
- +9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $682
- +15.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $583,503
- -0.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 3% first-time grantees (4 of 132, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to William M Cage Library Trust
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Awards to qualifying libraries must be used for library operations as set forth in the will. Recipients must be libraries located in Virginia, and the stated maximum grant is $500 per year per recipient.
- Review Cycle
- September 1 of each year.
- Deadline
- September 1 of each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Mark C Willis
Mailing address: 315 William Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Phone: (540) 373-5033
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who William M Cage Library Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Roanoke County Public Schools ($11K). Together the top 10 received $29K.
Grant Size Distribution
617 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 617 grants of 617 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in 2024 went to recipients in Virginia. The 2025 filing also limits eligible recipients to libraries located in Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 132 itemized grants.
Cities
Is William M Cage Library Trust open to new grantees?
3%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 132 grantees (3%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $875; repeat grants $676. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 83% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $69K (2021) to $90K (2025). In 2025 it made 132 grants totaling $90K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Roanoke County Public Schools Roanoke, VA | Library Grants | $11,028 |
| Central Rappahannock Regional Library Fredericksburg, VA | Library Grants | $4,500 |
| Massanutten Regional Library Harrisonburg, VA | Library Grants | $3,500 |
| Caroline County Public Schools Bowling Green, VA | Library Grants | $2,500 |
| Caroline County Library Bowling Green, VA | Library Grants | $2,000 |
| Legal Aid Works Fredericksburg, VA | Library Grants | $1,500 |
| Orange County Library Orange, VA | Library Grants | $1,500 |
| Richmond County Public School Warsaw, VA | Library Grants | $1,500 |
| Amherst County Museum & Historical Society Amherst, VA | Library Grants | $500 |
| Eastern Shore Public Library Parksley, VA | Library Grants | $500 |
Ready to take the next step with William M Cage Library Trust?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $583,503 | $106,196 | $109,418 | $90,028 | 132 | $104,920 | $101,698 | $125,758 |
| 2024 | $586,165 | $62,136 | $88,745 | $71,430 | 121 | $84,777 | $58,168 | $103,375 |
| 2023 | $600,674 | $61,154 | $100,269 | $77,565 | 123 | $91,362 | $52,247 | $85,227 |
| 2022 | $639,789 | $209,296 | $108,743 | $88,945 | 140 | $104,039 | $206,617 | $92,659 |
| 2021 | $539,236 | $55,826 | $85,031 | $68,975 | 101 | $79,416 | $52,454 | $99,386 |
| 2020 | $568,441 | $-10,211 | $98,940 | $80,067 | 119 | — | $39,440 | $81,638 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William M Cage Library Trust reported a distributable amount of $126K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its filing says awards to qualifying libraries must be used for library operations as set forth in the will. The 2024 grant list includes public schools, libraries, and other recipients. Legal Aid Works, which received a grant, describes its own mission as championing fairness by advocating for people with the least access to the civil court system. Carlisle School, another 2024 recipient, describes its mission as providing private education from pre-school through grade 12.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust made 121 grants totaling $71,430. Grant amounts ranged from $450 to $10,800, with a median of $450. The largest grants listed were $10,800 to Roanoke County Public Schools, $2,730 to Central Rappahannock Regional Library, $2,250 to Caroline County Public Schools, and $1,350 each to Orange County Library and Richmond County Public School. Legal Aid Works received $1,200, and Carlisle School received $450. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 132 grants totaling $90,028.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Mark C Willis is listed as trustee on the 2024 filing.
William M Cage Library Trust is led by Mark C. Willis, Trustee on every filing since 2021 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mark C. Willis
Trustee
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
$10K (2021) → $15K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: John C. Cowan (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $15K, to Mark C Willis (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about William M Cage Library Trust
How much does William M Cage Library Trust give each year?
William M Cage Library Trust gave $90K across 132 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $71K across 121 grants.
What is William M Cage Library Trust's typical grant size?
William M Cage Library Trust's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $682, across 132 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William M Cage Library Trust that year got $875 on average.
Where does William M Cage Library Trust give grants?
William M Cage Library Trust gives mostly in Virginia: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Fredericksburg, VA (30 grants), Stafford, VA (20 grants), Portsmouth, VA (15 grants) and Spotsylvania, VA (14 grants).
Does William M Cage Library Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 132 grants with a stated purpose on William M Cage Library Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Library Grants" (132 grants).
Who are William M Cage Library Trust's largest grantees?
William M Cage Library Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Roanoke County Public Schools ($11,028), Central Rappahannock Regional Library ($4,500) and Massanutten Regional Library ($3,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is William M Cage Library Trust?
William M Cage Library Trust reported $584K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $105K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $126K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does William M Cage Library Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its filing says awards to qualifying libraries must be used for library operations as set forth in the will. The 2024 grant list includes public schools, libraries, and other recipients. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William M Cage Library Trust?
The 2025 filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is William M Cage Library Trust's EIN?
William M Cage Library Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-6350104. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). William M Cage Library Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/william-m-cage-library-trust-morg_1aa27830f82143d18faddf4c0a344699
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_546350104_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{William M Cage Library Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/william-m-cage-library-trust-morg_1aa27830f82143d18faddf4c0a344699},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from William M Cage Library Trust's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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